Last Updated on May 30, 2022 by Eve Dawes
How to stop flyaway static hair in its tracks
How to get rid of static hair? Every Winter, as soon as it gets colder and the heating comes on most of us struggle with static hair, more about why below. I was googling how to stop static hair about a month ago. As the last few years I thought I’d stopped my static hair with a humidifier but this year it came back with avengeance. It took me a few weeks to figure out why and find the solution. A lot of the articles on how to stop static hair include products with oils but if you have hair extensions (I just got mine put back in), using oil based products isn’t an option or can only be used from the mid lengths down.
I’ve tried to find as many solutions as possible for how to get rid of static hair that work for everyone. Take it from someone with a lot of hair, whose tried a lot of static hair products and these tips have actually worked for me!
Why is my hair so static
What’s actually causing the static is the electric charge that builds up in your hair that doesn’t normally happen when there’s more moisture in the air. Which is why I love my air humidifier and purifier. We got it for my husband to help with his snoring but it has the added benefit of helping to tame my hair.
The major contributing factors of static hair are the dry air and dry hair. So adding moisture to your hair and your environment is essential. A lot of celeb hairdressers will recommend avocado oil based products to keep your hair really hydrated but if you have extensions be careful where you apply these or look for a moisturizing, conditioning products that are oil-free.
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How to get rid of static hair
The 4 things that have worked the best for me from this list is the conditioner I use in the shower, an air humidifier, a satin pillowcase and a dry shampoo designed specifically to stop static hair. If these 4 things don’t work for you, try these tips for how stop static hair.
- Keep hair moisturized.
- Avoid plastic brushes and go for a natural bristle brush or wide wood comb to help minimize friction.
- Use a static spray designed especially for hair on damp hair. Use sparingly so you don’t end up with limp locks.
- Avoid thickening shampoos and conditioners. I was using my husbands when I ran out of my regular haircare and my hair has never been so static.
- Use a deeply hydrating conditioner. My personal favorite in Winter is Living Proof No Frizz Conditioner. It’s cruelty-free, vegan and without sulfates (safe for us girls with hair extensions but still avoid your roots). Its active ingredient is PolyfluoroEster which addresses the two causes of frizz, providing a humidity barrier while reducing surface friction.
- Deep condition your hair at least once a week to keep hair hydrated.
- Use a heat protector spray to try and lock in moisture and prevent heat damage.
- Most of us already use these but if you don’t normally use a leave-in conditioner to help prevent dry hair try adding it to your Winter haircare routine.
- Use an ionic hairdryer that helps to neutralize static electricity.
- Cut down using hot styling tools that dry hair out even more as much as possible.
- When using hot styling tools, try using them on a lower heat setting.
- After blowdrying your hair use a dry shampoo designed specifically to prevent flyaways and frizz. I find these add body to my hair rather than making it limp like the static spray can. I’ve linked my favorites that have worked the best for me.
- Keep anti-static dryer sheets in your purse. If your hair gets static while you’re out, just run one of these over your hair.
- Try to avoid brushing and touching your hair as much as possible. As static is caused when your hair rubs against something.
- Check the material of your hat. If its cotton lined or acrylic look for silk or satin lined hats instead. Rough fabrics rough up the hair shaft versus silky fabrics that help prevent frizz and friction.
- Don’t let your environment get too dry. Using an air humidifier at home works wonders at preventing the hot air in Winter from making your house too dry and for preventing static.
- Sleep on an anti static or silk pillowcase to reduce friction and static build up while you’re sleeping. As well as to help prevent pillow crease marks. I swear by mine as I’m a stomach sleeper.
Anti static hair tips that don’t work
A lot of articles on how to get rid of static hair say to use hairspray. I find this makes static hair worse as alcohol based hairsprays tend to dry hair out even more and makes the static problem worse. I used dry shampoo instead and the slight stickiness of it helps to hold the style and add body without frizz or flyaways. If you don’t have hair extensions, look for dry shampoos with oils in to keep your hair hydrated.
If hairspray works for you stick to it but if you’re still having issues with static hair, give this step a miss.
Best static hair products & hair tools
The Dyson Supersonic hairdryer produces negative ions to help reduce static in your hair. I’ve had mine for several years and love it for how quickly it dries my hair. It also now comes with a cool new flyaway attachment for it that smoothes hair. It’s great for creating a sleek finish instead of using straightening irons.
These are the static hair products that work best for me
A good conditioner, dry shampoo, silk pillowcase and air humidifier have worked the best for me but if you’ve tried all of those, give some of these other anti static products a go.
Go easy with the Exstatyk spray as a little goes a long way. It’s also safe on hair extensions to tame static hair as its water based not oil based. It neutralizes and calms statically charged hair by evenly distributing ionic charges, it’s not a leave-in conditioner. It’s also hypoallergenic, free from fragrance, parabens, gluten, nuts, soy and sulfates/SLS.
The humidifier we have is currently sold out but I’ve linked another one from the same brand.
